Sunday, January 14, 2007

Idiots With Guns #66

The purpose of Idiots with Guns is not to humiliate, but to educate. Over the years we have seen photos of people who, upon picking up a gun, just cannot resist pointing it at something they should not, with their finger on the trigger. This is usually the camera, another person, or themselves. These photos are often difficult to google up, because of the pages they are shown on. If you have archived any of these photos, feel free to send them in to bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom

The Four Rules1. All firearms are always loaded2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it

12 Comments:

Xavier, there are plenty of idiots with guns, and these goofballs do qualify; we'll probably be reading about one or more of them being involved in a "tragic accident" which will stir once again the mindless (or worse, deceptively mindful) calls for "control" of these "dangerous devices". Yes, there are idiots with guns, and then there is abject evil incarnate with guns...

On Friday in the little town of Sebring, FL where I operated my gun and pawn shop for the last twenty years, an unspeakable piece of shit lured a state trooper to stop his car with the stated intent of shooting him. The trooper was a good and decent man, had lived in the area most of his life, and had 24 years with the Florida Highway Patrol. He was one year from retirement when this 19 year old monster shot him in the neck; he died a few hours later. I knew Nick, but not well. However, his brother Jimmy, who has taken on the roll of family spokesman, managing a media onslaught while dealing with his own grief and worrying about his elderly father and Nick's family, is my good friend and former business acquaintance. Jimmy is a former detective with the county sheriff's office, now a bondsman, and I sold him several firearms over the years, along with jewelry for his family, tools for his construction hobby, etc. Most of the 200 or so sworn officers with the HCSO were acquaintances and customers of mine, and I counted many of them among my friends.

I've mentioned before in my responses to your posts that I retired from my business recently. What I haven't said is that I relinquished my FFL two years prior. If I could have found some way to limit the interest in my firearms to law enforcement, collectors and afficionados such as yourself, and law-abiding individuals with an interest in sport shooting or a need for self protection, I would have loved to continue in the business, as I truly enjoyed it and believe I served a genuine need and purpose in the community. But more and more in the later years, many of the lookers were of a distinctly different, and potentially dangerous, ilk. Young ones that I could overhear talking about handguns and paramilitary rifles in the vernacular lifted directly from rap songs, etc., and quite a few camo-clad self-described survivalists with a keen interest in night-vision, suppressors, magazine capacity, and receiver convertability. Most were fairly innocuous, and many could not buy a firearm from an FFL if they wanted to, but more and more were really scary. I prided myself on being observant, prepared, and most of all able to head off any evil intent with words and eye contact; in thirty years, thank God, I never found it necessary to draw down on anyone in my store. But I came to believe I was tempting fate, and not finding any way to limit exposure to my inventory to more palatable types (for one thing, who am I to prejudge?) other than to hold the customers ID while they held my firearms. So I finally decided to give up.

I know that's not what you want to hear, and I, being as ardent of a Libertarian (not the goofy political party, but the true "A free American can do and act as he sees fit as long as he harms no other" freedom-lover) as you'll ever find, would agree with you. But the inherent and increasing liability facing FFL's, when added to the unsolvable juxtaposition of ideals with self and public protection, left me in my mind with no other choice.

I mourn Nick, and pray for his family, and I know that I didn't sell this particular animal his cheap chrome automatic (as the pistol he used has been described). But could one of the hundreds of Lorcins, Davis, or other under $100 handguns I sold over the years have made it into his hands? I don't know, and in any case there's nothing I could do to prevent it, or for that matter to keep him or his many brethren from illegally obtaining firearms on the street, at gunshows, flea markets, classifieds, or in burglaries, and it could just as easily be a Colt, S&W, or other quality piece.

What is the answer, and why did a good man who gave his life to protecting others have to make the ultimate sacrifice so wastefully? Rhetorical question to be sure, and only dealing effectively with society's root ills and evils can possibly help. But as for me, I just don't have the heart or stomach for it anymore.

You can read about Nick Sottile's life and death at TBO.com or with a google search. May he rest in peace in the arms of the Lord. jtc

This is wrong on sooooo many levels it's almost impossible to list them all. Muzzle sweeps all over the place, the rifle shooter being downrange of the handgun shooter at the beginning, not wearing ear protection... the list goes on and on. Zoinks!

I have to say, the best part of these rediculous youtube vidoes is that the forum posts on the youtube site are almost always totally filled with people telling these guys how stupid they are. If nothing else, it may save us from people posting this stuff online and thinking it is somehow "cool."

I shocked they didn't hit one of those stone slabs laying around all over the place and catch a ricoched piece of lead in their arse or worse. These boys could have benefitted from more time with bb guns to learn lessons the right way!

Links to this post:

Xavier is a Registered Nurse who specialized in complex wound care. He has practiced for over fourteen years in his community. He often provided nursing service in areas where law enforcement refused to enter without back-up. Xavier now works in surgery.
Xavier has been an avid shooter for over 30 years. He strongly supports the 2nd Amendment, opposes gun control of any sort, and carries a weapon 24 hours a day.
Xavier is known on various internet gun forums as XavierBreath. He is married with three children, and is moderated by an apathetic one eyed cat, a goofy Golden Retriever, and a stalwart German Shepherd Dog. One day, he hopes to be deserving of them all.

Domari Nolo

Xavier can still be emailed at
treatmewithbenignneglect@gmail.com
He might read your email.
He might delete it on sight.
He might publish it and comment on it.

The Five Rules of Concealed Carry
1. Your concealed handgun is for protection of life only.
2. Know exactly when you can use your gun.
3. If you can run away -- RUN!
4. Display your gun, be prepared to go to jail.
5. Don't let your emotions get the best of you.